The best security basic

To offer a good security to your system in order to better secure your home computer or home network it helps if you have some basic knowledge of how it all works so you can understand what exactly you are securing and why. This will be the first in a 10-part series to help provide an overview of the terms and technology used and some of the tips, tricks, tools and techniques you can use to make sure your computer is secure.

To begin with, I want to provide some understanding of what these terms are so that when you read about the latest malicious code spreading through the Internet and how it gets into and infects your computer you will be able to decipher the techie terms and determine if this affects you or your computer and what steps you can or should take to prevent it. For Part 1 of this series we will cover Hosts, DNS, ISP’s and Backbone.

The term “host” can be confusing because it has multiple meanings in the computer world. It is used to describe a computer or server that provides web pages. In this context it is said that the computer is “hosting” the web site. Host is also used to describe the companies that allow people to share their server hardware and Internet connection to share these as a service rather than every company or individual having to buy all their own equipment.

A “host” in the context of computers on the Internet is defined as any computer that has a live connection with the Internet. All computers on the Internet are peers to one another. They can all act as servers or as clients. You can run a web site on your computer just as easily as you can use your computer to view web sites from other computers. The Internet is nothing more than a global network of hosts communicating back and forth. Looked at in this way, all computers, or hosts, on the Internet are equal.

Each host has a unique address similar to the way street addressing works. It would not work to simply address a letter to Joe Smith. You have to also provide the street address- for example 1234 Main Street. However, there may be more than one 1234 Main Street in the world, so you must also provide the city- Anytown. Maybe there is a Joe Smith on 1234 Main Street in Anytown in more than one state- so you have to add that to the address as well. In this way, the postal system can work backward to get the mail to right destination. First they get it to the right state, then to the right city, then to the right delivery person for 1234 Main Street and finally to Joe Smith.

On the Internet, this is called your IP (Internet protocol) address. The IP address is made up of four blocks of three numbers between 0 and 255. Different ranges of IP addresses are owned by different companies or ISP’s (Internet service providers). By deciphering the IP address it can be funneled to the right host. First it goes to the owner of that range of addresses and can then be filtered down to the specific address its intended for.

I might name my computer “My Computer”, but there is no way for me to know how many other people named their computer “My Computer” so it would not work to try to send communications to “My Computer” any more than addressing a letter simply to “Joe Smith” would get delivered properly. With millions of hosts on the Internet it is virtually impossible for users to remember the addresses of each web site or host they want to communicate with though, so a system was created to let users access sites using names that are easier to recall.

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Computer hackers are unauthorized users who break into computer systems in order to steal, change or destroy information, often by installing dangerous malware without your knowledge or consent. Their clever tactics and detailed technical knowledge help them access information you really don't want them to have.

Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) WEP is an older network security method that's still available to support older devices, but it's no longer recommended. When you enable WEP, you set up a network security key. This key encrypts the information that one computer sends to another computer across your network. However, WEP security is relatively easy to crack.

Are all the computers on you LAN running Vista? If so, (or even if not) which version?

Computer networks work best when the computers on those networks have a Network Operating System (NOS) installed, rather than a desktop operating system (OS). The best way to tell the difference is with the word PRO on the former or HOME on the latter.

Vista on home networks brings its own basket of troubles as well, particularly when connecting to non Vista computers.

Having laid all that out there for you, let's talk networks. You don't give many details, so, I'll make some assuptions based on new equipment (routers).

The best way to install a router, is to have the primary home computer connected via an ethernet cable. This allows the programming of the router to enable "cloning" of the MAC address. The reason to do this is so that the ISP (DSL or Cable company) will always appear that there is only one pc connected. This enhances your security.

Once that is done, the security feature can be adjusted on the router to either enable it, or not, and if you do (recommended) then write down your passphrase so that you can always remember it.

At this point, we are talking wireless, and if you are using wires, everything should already be functioning. With the wireless however, you will need to sit with your pc and tell the operating system to connect, then type in the security phrase when asked.

In XP, this is quite simple, by clicking on the wireless icon in the systray (down by the clock).

In Vista, however, you must first turn on network discovery. Right click on Networks, and choose properties. In the windows that opens, watch the information bar at the top, which should actually tell you network discover is not on, and to turn it on, click here.

Once the discovery is turned on, assuming that everything on your pc is functioning properly, you should see the network in the window, and be offered a chance to click on it to connect. Then type in your security phrase to connect to the LAN.

There is a lot going on with networks, and it is very difficult to help you set one up without a back and forth dialogue. I hope I helped you some.

A network hub allows computers to be connected together...up to 12 of
them in this case...but it doesn't provided any other network services
such as DHCP (automatic address assignment). I may be able to provide
better information if you can tell me what operating system you're
using.

Here's one way to set up a network for file sharing...if you're using Microsoft Windows XP:

Connect
the computers to the hub and turn them all on. You may need to manually
assign addresses to the computers, (ask if you need a detailed
procedure) but Windows XP will usually assign itself a default address.

On each computer, click on Start -- Control Panel -- System --
Computer Name -- Network ID -- Now give the computer a name and
Workgroup name. In order for the computers to share files, the workgroup names must be identical on every computer.